We are definitely a game loving family, board games, card games, outdoor games – we just love to play! We were very excited to received Wobbly Worm from Spinmaster for review, another game that we can hopefully have lots of fun together playing!

Can you hoop the loopy worm? Wobbles the Worm has fallen out of the apple tree and he’s all dizzy! As Wobbles bobs and spins around, players try to get their three hoops over his head. Get rid of all your hoops first to win! Wobbly Worm is get-up-and-move-around fun for preschoolers!

Within the box you get The apple shaped base, Wobbly Worm (made up of four body parts, three connectors and a head) and 9 rings!

The set up is really easy, you connect the body parts with the connectors and stand on base, clip on the head and then insert 2 batteries (it runs off 2 x C batteries) – you are then ready to go!

To play all you do is press the start button and then try and get your hoops over the worm, the first player to get all three of their coloured rings over wins! Simple! Well…..simple to play with the added fun of the Wobbly Worm twisting and turning. The bottom of the apple rocks and causes the worm to turn and the worm himself moves backwards and forwards so he wobbles to make it more difficult.

Although it is designed for pre-schoolers my two (aged 8 and 10) have loved playing with it and it is something that we can all play together, adding in extra challenges to make it more difficult – being further away, wearing a blindfold etc! When I suggested it might be two young for them they disagreed and said in no uncertain terms that they love it!

It is also fab for them to play with our friend’s children who are younger, lots of fun to be had with simple rules!

The worm can be made to three heights (with it’s biggest height being 3 ft) so can be made to sort your child.

The rings come in three different colours, so each player can have their own and they come in three different sizes, the bigger one being the easiest to get over. They are made from plastic and are strong without being too thick or heavy.

We are loving Wobbly Worm and would recommend it for all the family to play inside out out! We take it in the garden to have a bit more space and create run around challenges.

Following on from the previous post about the Neon Workshop I attended with Swatch I would now like to show you and tell you about the new Vibe collections and my new Watch.The word Swatch in itself brings up memories for me as I had a SWATCH Pop Watch when I was a teenager and I loved it. I love to see how the brand has developed and that they now have such a vast range of watches – there really is something for everyone.

The recently Released Swatch Vibe Collection is no different, there are different styles, different styles and different colours.I love this new range, the colours are so striking; even the black watches have a splash of colour on the dials, I think there is a watch for every occasion. There are ones with fun designs too; including one with fish on and one that is definitely bee inspired.

I was given a Swatch for myself at the end of the event and I was very pleased with the one I got – It is bright Pink and with it’s fab silicone strap and a stylish aluminium dial it is perfect for the summer! I love my new watch, the pink is lovely and bright, the purple, yellow and silver make the colour ‘POP’ even more. It is a watch that is light enough to wear throughout the day – I have a thing about feeling constricted around the wrist and this watch hasn’t caused me any problems.

It has a slightly louder tick than my other Swatch (from the Skin Range), but it is ok (I just don’t wear it to bed). Being a mum I have to ensure things like this are robust enough to last. I am pleased to say that this is all good on that front. I have worn it on the school run, shopping, playing basketball in the park and more and it is still very much in tack!

So in the Watch department – I am set, the only thing I have to think about it – is which one is the husband going to buy me next!

A couple of weeks ago I was invited to an event and I don’t mind telling you that I was excited. I was excited as not only was it being held by SWATCH (a brand I love) but also because they were putting on a Neon Workshop!

I went along to One Thoresby Street (Artist Studios) in Nottingham and joined some other bloggers to learn about the history of Neon, take part in making a neon light and see the new Vibe Collection from Swatch.The session started with a great introduction by Neon Workshops, it was really interesting listening to the history and learning things about the life of Neon, the environmental benefits, how to get the different colours and most importantly how to make our own Light!

I have always liked the thought of glass blowing/moulding so was excited to learn that we would be making our own Neon Light and to do that we would have to cut and bend some glass.

That long tube of glass in the first photo is where we started, we scored it and snapped it to make a length of glass that was workable. Then it was our job to heat it up and bend it. I enjoyed this so much, the feel of something solid becoming malleable, turning straight glass into something bended and interesting. I really enjoyed the workshop. Keep an eye on my Instagram to see my light in action!

The workshop was brilliant and they are accessible by anyone, check them out if you fancy having a go!

I felt very lucky to be included in this workshop and at the end as a massive bonus we were given our own Swatch from the Vibe Range to keep. The next post will give you a better look at the range and a review of my new Watch!

If your children are anything like mine; they love things that they can both collect and play with. Whacky Shots is a new action toy that includes cards that you can use to play or you can also trade.

We received the Whacky Shots Power Pack that includes eight Whacky Shots (two from each of the four teams), eight cards with bases, one target net, six crash cones, collector booklet and two Power Launchers.

The Monkey and Mouse were keen to get the pack open and start playing. There is minimum set up; you have to attached the net to and two legs to the ring and Pop the eight cards in their bases to stand them up, that’s it – you are ready to go!

There are four teams; Earth Heroes, Mutant Beasts, Invading Aliens and Rogue Robots. All you have to do is pick your warriors, stretch and launch – launch into battle!! You can launch your warrior of your finger but in this power pack you can use the Power Launcher for extra distance and accuracy.

To play against an opponent, each of you pick your team (you are to have at least one from each element in your team), select your cards and stand them facing away from the opponent. The cards show power, speed and skill statistics.

If you hit one of your oppositions cards, it is turned and shown to the other players; if your warrior beats the element of the card you win, the card remains down and you get another shot. if it doesn’t beat the element the card owner wins and the card stays in play and is returned to its original position.

You keep going until only one player has a card left standing and they are the winner.

If you remember which cards you have hit and have remained standing, you can target your warrior with the correct element to defeat in a future shot!

This is a lot of fun and because it is easy to set up and get the play started I can see it being used a lot. To hone your skills you can use the net and crash cones to practice. You can make your own games up and can even play solo if you want to!

The Monkey initially found that they could fire from their finger much better than from the Launcher. The Launcher took a little bit of getting used to, but now they are avid launcher users, as they can use them well.

The Whacky Shots comes from Brainstorm Ltd and is great and there are 60 Whacky Shots in Series 1, so it is a real collectible. I am sure any interested child will want to collect them all! The challenge is to find the rare glow-in-the-dark Whacky Shots for extra atomic power!

You may recognise Tech Deck – the finger skateboards from 20 years ago; awesome mini versions of the real thing, controlled by your fingers and a whole load of fun!

The Good news is that they are still fab and the even better news (for us) is that we were asked to have a look at them and tell you about them. The excitement in the house was massive when this awesome bundle arrived, and it wasn’t only the children that were raring to open and play. This is literally like Christmas to us

We were sent the Transforming SK8 Container (transforming Ramps!!), an SLS pro series Fun Box with Rail, a four pack of skateboards and a single pack from series 2.

The skateboards are great, proper little replicas of the real things; complete with wheels, trucks, picture underneath and the grip tape on top. The single pack came assembled and was ready to play with straight away. It came with extra wheels and the tool to change them.

The fours pack was more time consuming to set up but also more fun. You got one ready to go and three where you needed to add the grip tape, the trucks and the wheels using the provided screws and bolts (which are teeny weeny and easy to lose, so my tip is to do this somewhere you can see them well).Monkey and Mouse were capable of putting them together, they just needed a little help now and again. The ramp and rail were really easy to set up. For the rail there was just a couple of bits to slide together, for the container it was clip one lid on and it was ready to go.

They both loved checking to see whether their new boards were common, rare or ultra rare. This is a feature that makes them collectible and I can see the children saving their pennies to buy more to complete the set – obviously with their fingers crossed for the ultra rare ones each time.

Monkey and Mouse are loving playing with these, they give their own commentary to what is happening in their competitions between their skateboards. Monkey describes it as ‘awesome’ and says ‘I really like how the skateboards are like my real skateboard’.

The storage container transformable ramp is definitely a favourite; you can use it as a half-pipe or you can take the ramps out and attach to other parts to make a more varied ramp. It features skateboard stands and a grinding rail out to the side. Playing with it is fun and It then all packs away into itself, which as a mum I appreciate as it makes it easy to store when not being played with.

Both Monkey and Mouse have said that they would like to buy more ramps, rails and pipes to extend their skate park.

Things I love about this are; it’s a toy that can be played with alone or with others, it is a toy that can be fun for children and grown ups, they are sturdy and can be used for what they are meant to be used for and they are a lot of fun!

Tech Deck have a You Tube channel where you can see the skateboards in action and can pick up more idea of how to play!

I love World Book Day. You have all them children talking about the books they love and dressing up as characters they would love to be – it’s helping Children’s literacy by having fun! What could be better?!

The only problem this year was that the snow came….boy did it come! School was closed – booo!

Thankfully our school knew how much the children were looking forward to it (and how much time and effort parents had put into costumes) so they rearranged it for the Friday just gone!

This time around my two chose costumes that were not too difficult to put together, but were definitely the characters from their current favourite books!

Mouse is the biggest fan of Bear Grylls and his series of books for kids ‘Bear Grylls Adventures’; she is reading one after the other and flies through them – I need them to release the next ones quicker to keep up with her! So, when asked which character she wanted to be, her answer came quick and firm ‘Bear Grylls’.

Monkey was a reluctant reader in a previous phase of his life, but more recently he is always reading. He absolutely loves the Etherington Brothers who he first met at Nottingham Comic Con and he discovered the series of books ‘Freaky and Fearless’ written by Robin Etherington.

He has read all three books and is now re-reading them. Love the passion he has for these books, his character had to be ‘Simon’ in his outfit from book one!

I am looking forward to seeing these two dive more and more into books and I can only imagine what cthe costume will be next year!

What a week! It was our first week back at school after the half term and Monday saw an inset day. We were looking forward to World Book Day and had discussed at length options and planned costumes for the celebrations at school. However, the weather had other ideas, after a shed load of snow, Thursday and Friday became non school days and World Book Day Celebrations were postponed.

I love World Book Day and what it has done for promoting reading in children. I believe in the importance of reading and have shared books with my two since the day they were born. As my son got a little older he became a reluctant reader, he still had the love of books but almost became scared to read them.

We have come through that now and he always has his nose in a book. Things like World Book Day have helped with this as it helped him hear about what his friends are reading and discover new books, comics and other things with words!

So, my Thursday came and although there was no school my two little book worms were determined for the Book day fun to not be postponed though. After a little play in the garden and getting really cold we were confined to the house, but we weren’t going to be bored!

We were lucky enough to be sent a puzzle with a book theme to have a go with and tell you what we think! This puzzle depicts Billionaire Boy from the fantastic world of David Walliams and I have to share, we are already massive fans of David and his books! Mouse is the biggest puzzle fan in the house, so I was surprised when it was Monkey who completed this first, he said he was just going to start it but enjoyed it so much that he just kept going.

There is 250 pieces, the pieces are a good size and are not too thin (something I have found with other puzzles aimed at children – there get torn far too easily). The picture is awesome, showing both pictures and quotes, it was great to see Monkey (and later Mouse) reading the quotes as they completed each one – a perfect activity for World Book Day!

The puzzle is from a lovely range from Paul Lamond and there are other David Walliams Book puzzles available too; Gansta Granny, The boy in a dress and Mr Stink. Would we recommend this for others, well that is a big yes!! Both Monkey and Mouse have said that they think their friends would love it and say that they would love to own the others in the series too.

Would you like to own your own copy of the Billionaire Boy Puzzle?

I am able to offer one reader a copy of the puzzle. If you would like the chance of being the person to win a puzzle for themselves, then please take a look at the gleam widget below and complete as many actions as you would like. The more actions you complete, the more entries you get. Good luck!!

We love playing games all year round and there is even more game playing time over the Christmas, it brings us together and we always have fun. I also know that many people are still Christmas Shopping and/or looking for fun things to do for New Year, So I thought I would put together a brief guide for games to buy others or play yourself, take a look!

The classic of Top Trumps is a quick and simple – with so many topics there is a pack for everyone. Top trumps is easy to play, deal out the cards and try and collect all the cards by beating the other player’s score. To add to the fun there have been some retro cards released; choose from Crazy Cars,Strikers, Fantasy, Exotic Cars or two sets of Horror. We were sent the fantasy set to try and it is brilliant!

Pass the Pigs is an awesome game, I played it loads when I was growing up and now can play with the kids. We have had the classic game for a long time and have had many fun nights, throwing the pigs to see how they land! There are now other versions too – Pass the Pigs Party – similar to the classic game with added vibrant colours and cards that you need to match the position too and Giant Pass the pigs = played with two giant inflatable pigs! We love playing this and I think Giant Pass the pigs is going to be the game of Christmas!

We have had Bananagrams for a year now and we have played it over and over again. A fast paced word game that is suitable for children and adults to play. You have some letter tiles and you have to build linked words in front of you – collecting letters as ‘peel’ is shouted until the tiles are gone. It is a lot of fun and often brings a lot of giggles too!

We bought Dobble after a recommendation from a friend and we have loved it since. You are dealt some cards and have to match symbols to the middle card. The idea is to get rid of your cards first.we play it at home, at friends and even out and about. The game comes in a handy tin that makes it portable and it can go on your travels with you!Bellz is another great quick game that is suitable for children and adults alike – each player has a colour and you use the double-ended magnet to collect your bells. It is easy to play, fun to play and the mat turns into a travel pouch! It is brilliant and always goes on holiday with us!is a new game to us this year; it is for 14 years old plus which is appropriate because it is a little difficult. The idea is you guess your teams film, year of release and the accent you are saying it in (all dictated by the cards you draw). It is a laugh, we were terrible at getting the right answers but it was the biggest laugh we have had in a long time! It is brilliant!

I hope you have a fantastic Christmas and a Very happy New Year, let me know what games you will be playing – we are always on the lookout for new ones!

Disclaimer: I was sent an Accentuate and a pack of Fantasy Top Trumps to tell you about them. This doesn’t change the fact that we had loads of fun playing them.

This year I have found myself reading a lot of Comics and do you know what?! They are awesome!

Husband is a massive fan of comics and has been as long as I have known him and it seems to have rubbed off on me. To be honest, I think one of the main reasons I love them is because they have turned our reluctant reader into a book worm!

Christmas is coming up fast and we always buy the children books, so this led me to think about what Comics would make good Christmas Presents or Stocking fillers and here is what I came up with – welcome to my first Gift Guide for 2017 – Comics for Christmas! This is a list of five comics that I have enjoyed that would be suitable for children too!

The first one is ‘Outlaws: Wanted’ – the all ages Charity Comic produced by Nottingham Comic Con; it features a whole load of artists and writers including Marc Laming (Star Wars, Planet Hulk, X-Men), Roger Langridge (The Muppets, Thor, Popeye), The Etherington Bros (Long Gone Don, Baggage, The Phoenix Comic), Steve Beckett (The Beano) and Laura Howell (The Regular Show, Angry Birds, The Beano).

It is full of different comics to make to laugh and giggle and is brilliant to share with the little ones too! To make it even better during the season of goodwill – all monies go to Charity. It was funded on Kickstarter earlier in the year so the whole £5.00 heads to help people.

Coming from Level 8 Comics is Late Knights; written by Jon Laight and illustrated by Matt Strott (both people I think are awesome and have loads of talent) – this is a fantastic all ages/kids comic.

The story follows the Late family – a family of spies – who with their skills and gadgets are on a mission to protect the world. With Baddies like Miss Fur Frost and Chamelgran, you can be sure of a lot of fun!

Both Monkey and the Mouse have read this and they absolutely love it, they can’t wait for the next one in the series! A perfect comic for younger readers or those young at heart!

The Etherington Brothers are an immense force in the land of kids comics; they are full of passion for comics and have some serious talent!

We have a lot of their books but for this list I am going to tell you about Baggage. Featuring Randall – a happy-go-lucky but disaster-prone lost property officer, this is a tale of adventure, hilarity and mystery. It is brilliant fun and Monkey has read it over and over again!

Check out their other comics too, they have something for kids of all ages!

Next up is Brain Shoodles from Emily B Owen. This comic does have a serious undertone and a grown up theme of Anxiety and Depression but I have included it as I think it is a perfect read for your teenagers – in the area I work in I see depression in children, so anything that can help is good in my book.

Brain Shoodles is written in such a way that it is entertaining but also helpful! Simple but awesome images are used to illustrate the points and the bonus is you will have some laughs along the way too! Perfect for a stocking filler or buy it for yourself!

Last but not least is a little festive, I picked this up at a Comic Con and I love it. A Christmas Carol done by Joe Matthews and Dave McCluskey. It is a beautifully illustrated version of the classic tale, it is lots of fun and lovely read. I love comics that take a classic and make it modern and it works wonders with our Reluctant reader.

It is more pricey than some other comics at £10 but I would definitely say it is worth it.

Keep your eyes peeled for comics; they make great stocking fillers, perfect pressies and they have a practical role is encouraging reading! It has worked for Monkey– he always has his head in a book or comic now!

Disclaimer: I am involved in the Notitngham Comic Con but my opinion of Outlaws: Wanted is an honest one – we were very lucky with the people who contributed! I bought the other comics at various comic cons!

I love Pass the pigs! I grew up with it and we often played it as a family. I was shocked to find that my husband had never heard of it when we got together, but now it is played often in our house and it is great – the kids can play too! It is a perfect size for travel too, so it has been on many trips with us and we have introduced it to friends too!

I am sure you’ll be snorting with laughter if you play with these piggy games for Christmas.The original party animals, Pass the Pigs, use hilarious pigs for dice. Will you roll a sider or start makin’ bacon? Having fun with friends, on the road entertainment, or just chilling out – the game is on for every pig in the parlour!

Fantastic fun for the whole family, Pass the Pigs is so easy to play. Simply throw the 2 piggies up in the air and see how they land. Compare the pigs landing positions with your scorecard and earn points, the first to 100 wins.

Pass the Pigs comes in a handy travel case, pop into your bag and you are ready for a game anytime, so if you are traveling to see family it’s the perfect entertainment on the go. Pass the Pigs Party are ideal for when you want to play with family and friends at Christmas.

Pass the Pigs

Hours of fun are guaranteed with this exciting Pass the Pigs game. Perfect for taking on the road, the Pass the Pigs game comes in a handy travel case, so there’s never a dull moment to be had!

Pass the Pigs is a game of skill for 2-6 players, it comes with a handy carry case, 2 pencils, 2 pigs and a pocket-sized score card.

Suitable for ages 3+ and available for £9.99rrp.

Pass the Pigs party

The version for party animals! Now there are EIGHT pigs in the game to play with. Roll your piggies to try and be first to match the position on your card, get bonus points if you do it on your first go! Be the first to rack up 100 points. £14.99rrp.

8 small plastic piggies (four pairs)

Deck of 30 cards

Carry case

If you fancy a chance at winning your own Piggy fun, follow the Gleam Widget options below to enter. The winner will win a copy of Pass the Pigs Original and Pass the Pigs party!

Terms and Conditions: Judges Decision is final. Only valid entries will be counted. Winners will be notified and they have 48 hours to claim their prize. In the case of no claim a new winner will be drawn! The prize will be dispatched direct from supplier. Winners will win one copy of Pass the Pigs Original and one copy of Pass the Pigs Party.Competition is open to UK only. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Instagram or Facebook. Disclosure: I will be sent samples to host this giveaway. I have used the pictures in this post with permission.